Dawn Redwood
Metasequoia glyptostroboides (TAXODIACEAE)
Planting and Growing Dawn Redwood Trees
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow dawn redwood trees in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- Foliage, cones, and seeds of dawn redwood
- Growing conditions for dawn redwood
- When to plant dawn redwood
- How to plant dawn redwood
- How to prune dawn redwood
- Watering, fertilizing, and care of dawn redwood
- Landscape uses of dawn redwood
- Pest and disease control for dawn redwood
Growing Dawn Redwood Trees
Single ancient species of fast-growing, pyramid-shaped, coniferous, deciduous trees, to 100 ft. (30 m) tall, with shiny, flat, deep green needles, 1/2–1-1/2 in. (12–38 mm) long, with silvery undersides, turning golden red in autumn, with fibrous, red, fissured bark, and with trunks to 9 ft. (2.7 m) wide.
Classified first in the fossil record and dated to the Mesozoic geologic period 150 million years ago, the species was then rediscovered in 1945 as living specimens in Sichuan, China; hence, its frequent descriptive title, “a living fossil.”
Related trees, coastal redwood, Sequoia sempervirens; and giant sequoia, Sequoiadendron giganteum, both with great size and similar general appearance, are coniferous evergreens as ancient as dawn redwoods. The first recognizable Sequoia left its imprint in the fossil record 200 million years ago, during the Jurassic geologic period.
Dawn Redwood Planting and Care Guide
Flowering and Cones
Stemless, drooping, spikelike, male cones and round, green, stemmed, female, cones appear in spring, ripening in summer, containing scaly, winged seed.
Best Climates
U.S.D.A. Plant Hardiness Zones 5–9. Best with winter chill.
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist, well-drained soil. Fertility: Rich–average. 6.0–7.0 pH.
Where and How to Plant
Full sun. Space 20–30 ft. (6–9 m) apart.
Proper Care
Easy. Keep evenly moist. Fertilize annually. Prune suckers. Protect from salt, sun in hot, coastal climates. Foliage drop requires annual maintanance. Propagate by cuttings, seed, suckers.
About This Species
Good choice for accents, seasonal screens in open landscapes. Shallow rooted. Pest and disease resistant.